Hello!
I've been trying to research electric bikes for the past week or two and have to admit to finding it all a bit of a bewildering minefield so thought I'd register and make a post to ask for some advice. It's been very helpful to read answers given to other people but everyone's requirements are a bit different so here I go with mine.
I'm looking for a e-bike for my sixty year-old husband so that, amongst other things, he can join my son and I (both disabled) on a ride with our roadworthy mobility scooters. The three of us have had a sit down and a brainstorm to get a list of things to consider but trying to go the step further and actually find a bike is something we'd really appreciate some advice on.
As a basic style, my husband would rather a full framed bike as opposed to a step-through frame. He likes the look of "a mountain bike looking" bike but doesn't actually need all the functionality of an actual mountain bike. As well as lanes we are hoping to tackle forestry tracks in the area so the bike will need to be able to traverse bumpy ground at gentle speeds but it's not going to be thrashed around mountain trails.
A comfortable riding posture is really important, would a bike with higher handlebars help with that? There'll be no need for "standing-up pedalling".
Ideally my husband's hoping to be able to pedal as much as possible on flat ground. He'd like to try pedalling up slightly steeper inclines with assistance but would appreciate significant help (or indeed the means not to pedal at all) on the more substantial hills in the area. His knees are a potential problem and we want to look after them! He did use to cycle some time ago but it was his knees that proved to be a problem. It would be ideal if, with the future in mind, the bike was actually able to be ridden as electric-only so he could join my son and I on a ride if weather permitted but his knees didn't.
Are disc brakes a requirement in our area? We are up in the Scottish Highlands and needless to say there's rather a lot of hills around. My son used a GPS gizmo to record a track of he and I riding our mobility scooters; the maximum sustained gradient was about 10% with a brief steeper sections, as much as 14% in a couple of places. Regular journeys, for instance a five mile round trip to a local beauty spot, would involve a total decrease in altitude of about 450ft - with the return leg obviously covering the same in reverse! That's not to say there aren't flat places, it's just we can't get anywhere from where we live without traversing a hill!
There's no need for carrying capacity as on any ride long enough to need any drink or food we'd be carrying that on our scooters. Mudguards are essential, whether they're pre-fitted or available as an aftermarket purchase!
We'd like help finding the best balance between a chassis light enough to facilitate ease of handling and finding one with batteries that have enough oomph to meet our (hoped-for!) requirements. A range of around 10-15 miles would be minimum, though it's possible that we might try and tackle longer rides if the bike can cope with it.
My husband is of average build and is six foot tall.
Lastly, the budget! We're looking to find a practical solution that best fits our needs. We're not after the very cheapest option but would like to keep things around £1500 if it was possible; though if pushing that limit up a little bit would get us something more suitable we'd be prepared to take that advice!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope someone's able to give us some advice
Happy cycling!
I've been trying to research electric bikes for the past week or two and have to admit to finding it all a bit of a bewildering minefield so thought I'd register and make a post to ask for some advice. It's been very helpful to read answers given to other people but everyone's requirements are a bit different so here I go with mine.
I'm looking for a e-bike for my sixty year-old husband so that, amongst other things, he can join my son and I (both disabled) on a ride with our roadworthy mobility scooters. The three of us have had a sit down and a brainstorm to get a list of things to consider but trying to go the step further and actually find a bike is something we'd really appreciate some advice on.
As a basic style, my husband would rather a full framed bike as opposed to a step-through frame. He likes the look of "a mountain bike looking" bike but doesn't actually need all the functionality of an actual mountain bike. As well as lanes we are hoping to tackle forestry tracks in the area so the bike will need to be able to traverse bumpy ground at gentle speeds but it's not going to be thrashed around mountain trails.
A comfortable riding posture is really important, would a bike with higher handlebars help with that? There'll be no need for "standing-up pedalling".
Ideally my husband's hoping to be able to pedal as much as possible on flat ground. He'd like to try pedalling up slightly steeper inclines with assistance but would appreciate significant help (or indeed the means not to pedal at all) on the more substantial hills in the area. His knees are a potential problem and we want to look after them! He did use to cycle some time ago but it was his knees that proved to be a problem. It would be ideal if, with the future in mind, the bike was actually able to be ridden as electric-only so he could join my son and I on a ride if weather permitted but his knees didn't.
Are disc brakes a requirement in our area? We are up in the Scottish Highlands and needless to say there's rather a lot of hills around. My son used a GPS gizmo to record a track of he and I riding our mobility scooters; the maximum sustained gradient was about 10% with a brief steeper sections, as much as 14% in a couple of places. Regular journeys, for instance a five mile round trip to a local beauty spot, would involve a total decrease in altitude of about 450ft - with the return leg obviously covering the same in reverse! That's not to say there aren't flat places, it's just we can't get anywhere from where we live without traversing a hill!
There's no need for carrying capacity as on any ride long enough to need any drink or food we'd be carrying that on our scooters. Mudguards are essential, whether they're pre-fitted or available as an aftermarket purchase!
We'd like help finding the best balance between a chassis light enough to facilitate ease of handling and finding one with batteries that have enough oomph to meet our (hoped-for!) requirements. A range of around 10-15 miles would be minimum, though it's possible that we might try and tackle longer rides if the bike can cope with it.
My husband is of average build and is six foot tall.
Lastly, the budget! We're looking to find a practical solution that best fits our needs. We're not after the very cheapest option but would like to keep things around £1500 if it was possible; though if pushing that limit up a little bit would get us something more suitable we'd be prepared to take that advice!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope someone's able to give us some advice
Happy cycling!
